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vexillum

American  
[vek-sil-uhm] / vɛkˈsɪl əm /

noun

  • vexilla
    plural
  1. a military standard or flag carried by ancient Roman troops.

  2. a group of men serving under such a standard.

  3. video frequency.

  4. Botany. Also vexil the large upper petal of a papilionaceous flower.

  5. Ornithology Rare. the web or vane of a feather.


vexillum British  
/ vɛkˈsɪləm /

noun

  1. ornithol the vane of a feather

  2. botany another name for standard

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns


Etymology

Origin of vexillum

1720–30; < Latin: standard, flag, diminutive from the base of vēlum sail ( see veil)


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Marine experts believe that carpet sea squirt, formally named Didemnum vexillum, came from Japan.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

The founder and chief prophet of vexillology, Political Scientist Whitney Smith, coined the word from the Latin vexillum, or military standard.

From Time Magazine Archive

When I saw the odd shape of the base of the vexillum, I concluded that it must have some meaning, but little dreamt what that was.

From More Letters of Charles Darwin — Volume 2 by Sir Francis Darwin

In the Roman army the eagle, the vexillum, &c. had all the moral and sentimental importance of the colours of to-day.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 6 "Cockaigne" to "Columbus, Christopher" by Various

The labarum, like the vexillum, had sometimes fringes with tassels or ribbons.

From Flags: Some Account of their History and Uses. by Andrew Macgeorge

Then a trumpet-call, a flash of blue vexilla and silver eagles in the air, and, a moment later, some eighty hoofs were drumming in the Appian Way.

From Vergilius A Tale of the Coming of Christ by Irving Bacheller

Examples of these vexilla are to be seen on various Roman coins and medals, on the sculptured columns of Trajan and Antoninus, and on the arch of Titus.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 4 "Finland" to "Fleury, Andre" by Various

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